Creams, Wipes and Tablets

– Guys sweat – that’s a pretty surefire guarantee, for the most part. For some, the troublesome perspiration comes out on the basketball court, or ahead of that big business presentation or blind date. For others, embarrassing damp and reek can hit at any time, courtesy of overactive and prolific sweat glands. Either way, it's always nice to have a failsafe tool at easy reach to manage the situation.
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That's where drugstore.com comes in. Among our healthy stock of men's deodorants and antiperspirants, we carry odor and sweat-fighting products in the form of creams, wipes, and tablets. After all, these days you're not limited to the traditional deodorant stick or body spray: You've got other options to try for across-the-board personal care. Looking and smelling your best on a day-to-day basis sometimes requires some trial-and-error to find a product truly effective for your body and your lifestyle, and having some different formats to play around with boosts your chances of success.

Dealing With Sweat and Body Odor

You've got two kinds of sweat glands: eccrine sweat glands found throughout your body that produce a clear, odorless mixture of water and salt for thermoregulation purposes; and apocrine glands, situated in your armpits and a few other choice locations – particularly those heavy in hair follicles. Those apocrine glands generate a sweat laden with fatty acids and proteins – commonly released in association with stress, anxiety, or hormonal activity – and those molecules constitute a sumptuous feast for bacteria. It's that bacterial activity that produces the all-too-familiar, piercingly pungent body odor often associated with perspiring.

While many men contend with occasional sweat and odor connected to strenuous physical activity or stress, some may more acutely suffer from excessive perspiration, a condition called hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis may be either primary, in which the over-sweating is itself the sole issue, or secondary, where it's caused by some underlying medical condition or side effect. Be sure to see your doctor if you experience excessive perspiration.

Antiperspirants and deodorants are the two common at-home choices for contending with undesirable levels of sweat or body odor. While routinely confused, these products differ intrinsically in action. Deodorant has no effect on the amount of sweat reaching the surface of your body, but cuts down on smell by making the perspiration more acidic, salty, or otherwise unfriendly to bacteria. Antiperspirant temporarily stops up the sweat pores, thereby depriving bacteria of material to break down.

Browsing Your Options

Elsewhere on drugstore.com you'll find classic deodorant and antiperspirant sticks and sprays, but here you can shop an inventory of alternative forms. From wipes, pads, and creams to towelettes, powders, and lotions, these are easy-to-use, quick-to-apply products that boost your confidence and self-bearing as they minimize embarrassing stains and stenches.

Remember to identify whether a given item is a deodorant, an antiperspirant, or a combination of both. If profuse sweat is your prime cause for concern, an antiperspirant is a better choice than a deodorant, which in isolation focuses solely on odor.

Keep an eye out for any customer reviews that have been submitted for a product you're considering. Such evaluations give you all the more information with which to weigh your options.

Don't settle for smelly and soaking: Take charge of those sweat glands at drugstore.com!